New £1.5m park and ride proposed outside Larne

A proposal is being progressed to provide 264 parking spaces at a site adjacent to Shanes Hill and Belfast Road subject to finance and planning approval.

The proposed development was outlined in the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Roads Northern Division’s annual report to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council at a meeting of the Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee on Tuesday.

The park and ride is aimed at providing a “safe off-road bus stop facility with designated parking provision”, the report stated. The report also outlined schemes scheduled for the borough during the 2024/25 financial year.

DfI Roads will be continuing its street light replacement programme with upgrades planned including phase two in Larne’s Seacourt estate; Coast Road, Glenarm; The Croft, Carnlough; Larne Road, Dromore Road and Knockagh Heights, in Carrickfergus; Donegal Close/Crescent in Whitehead; Meadowvale, Market Place, Springwell Street, Albert Place and Galgorm Road, Ballymena.

Resurfacing of roads in Mid and East Antrim has been scheduled at a cost of £4m covering an overall distance of 16 kilometres at locations including the Larne Road Roundabout, Ballymena; Upper Road, Carrickfergus and Carrickfergus Road, Larne, for example.

Surface dressing is scheduled at 14 rural locations in Larne, Carrickfergus, Broughshane, Cargin and Martinstown at a cost of £900k covering an overall distance of 65 kilometres.

Speaking at the meeting, Carrickfergus Castle Alderman Billy Ashe MBE asked if DfI Roads has any plans to “rationalise” an increase in traffic at the top end of Victoria Road in the town. Ald Ashe reported that during certain hours, traffic “doesn’t move” and residents are “prisoners in their homes”.

“Constantly, people can’t get in or out of their own driveways. It just seems to be getting worse,” he added. “I have never seen it so bad. It is at a standstill at certain times.” He said there was an incident when an ambulance responding to a 999 call was “blocked by traffic”.

DfI Roads divisional manager Alan Keys said that he would ask the traffic section to look at the situation. He described traffic as a “common problem” in the vicinity of schools adding it is “very difficult to deal with”.

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter